Sounds part 2 of 5: Dissonances
by Mounty Swiss
Summary: Holiday Plans Gone Down the Drain
1. Chapter 1

**Sounds Part 2 of 5: **

**Dissonances**

_Holiday plans gone down the drain_

**Chapter 1**

**Sonoma County, Ca., December 1993**

Just before lunch on St. Stephen's day, Mark Sanger arrived at Ironsides' estate. For once his daughters had gone to a youth camp, and his wife Diana had volunteered to be the camp cook. Mark was happy to join his oldest and dearest friends without the pressure of a pending case.

To Danny, Judge Sanger sounded like a greyhound bus and he was proud that his Dad didn't seem the least bit intimidated by the impressive Afro-American.

Since almost everybody had eaten a little too much of Katherine's and Eve's wonderful Christmas delicacies – except for Danny who hadn't tasted anything unknown but stuck to bread instead, and Ed, who had excused himself and retired onto the couch - it was agreed that they take a walk through the vineyards. Ironside with his arm in a sling* needed more help than usual to move around.  
Mark merrily resumed his old job as Ironside's wheelchair pusher. "Diana will be delighted when I return slim and fit after New Year, having worked so hard," he said with a smirk.

A little fresh air would do them good, and that way Ed, who was still suffering from a headache and dizziness as a result of his concussion, would get his much needed rest.

Yet with an autistic child things never go as smoothly as planned.  
To everybody's surprise Danny refused to put on his jacket. "No, I won't go out!" he shouted. "Daddy stays here and so will I!"

It was one of the hundred times a day his parents had to decide if it was better to let him have his will or to force him into doing something which might help him overcome his weaknesses. This was also one of the reasons which made living with him so challenging.  
Eve thought that he was too much of a couch potato. A child needed some fresh air every now and then, and he had been so happy after jogging through the vineyards with Ed two days before. Therefore she decided to insist this time.

Danny ran into the living-room, intent on hiding under the settee. But on it his father was resting. With his sore head he wasn't keen on a confrontation with his son right now, but there was no way around it. He had to back up his wife.

"Danny," he said, not loudly, but firmly.

The boy shook his head. Stubbornly he uttered, "I don't want to leave you."

Ed understood his fear after what had happened on Christmas Eve. But the boy clung to him too much as it was, and if he gave in now it might get increasingly difficult to help Danny to become independent, apart from the fact that he needed to respect his mother's orders as well as Ed's.

What could Ed say to convince the twelve-year-old? It had to be something fitting into Danny's weird kind of logic. Meanwhile Ed had become quite good at finding justifications that Danny could accept.  
"Since I can't go with your mother I need you to protect her," he argued. "Please take care of her for me, will you?"

This was a reason which could not be refuted: obviously Danny could not leave his mother without any protection. Therefore he complied.

The Ironsides' vineyard had developed wonderfully. Not without pride Robert and Katherine explained the secrets of viniculture to their guests. Danny wanted to know how much working time the cultivating of one grapevine took in one year. Ironside gave him a ballpark figure and the boy calculated the time needed for every vineyard they saw.

They ran into their old neighbor Bruce Lambert. He was now sober, but he had forgotten to change his clothes. They still carried the smell of alcohol.  
Danny held his nose and stood stock-still. Eve knew that he was hyper-sensitive, but this behavior was really offending. "Danny, I don't want you to behave like this!"

The boy was confused. The sound of the man didn't fit to his smell at all. He sounded like ripe apples but smelled like... Schnapps.

The child turned his back at Lambert but didn't take his hand off his face. "But he stinks!"

For once even Ironside was at a loss for words.

* * *

Ed woke up because he heard some voices coming out of Ironside's study which was situated next door to the living-room. How long had he slept? Where his friends back already? He looked at the antique hall clock. Only twenty minutes had passed since they had left. And no, they weren't back – he didn't recognize the two men's voices he was hearing.

* * *

The next incident occurred because of Ellen Crawford's little dog.  
As soon as the autistic boy saw it, he ran away through the vineyards.

"Danny, stop!" shouted Eve, but he didn't seem to hear her. She had to follow him.

"Mrs. Crawford, I'm so sorry. Our young guest is afraid of dogs. Please forgive him," explained Ironside.

The elderly lady was astonished. Why should anybody be afraid of Christmas, her little darling?!

Katherine tried to explain the Asperger's Syndrome to Mrs. Crawford – with modest success – but at least she could convince her that Danny was harmless.

Mark wanted to run after the kid too, but Ironside signaled him to stay. The boy would just get more upset. As it was, he stumbled over a wire, skinning his knees. Finally Eve managed to calm him down, but he almost cried.

"I promised dad to protect you and now I ran away... I'm so sorry..."

"Is this a normal Sunday afternoon for you?!" Mark asked later, when Danny, who had followed the traces of a truck, was out of earshot. His twin daughters had never been nearly as difficult.

"It's an example of a _quiet_ Sunday afternoon. But usually Ed does the running and the calming down."

"Is it easier for him?" Katherine wanted to know.

"No, I don't think so – not much anyway, although Danny is more inclined to obey him. But Ed wants to protect me from wearing myself out. He has a great way with Danny, but afterwards he is as drained as I am, and the worst part is the nights, when Danny has bad dreams. He is still traumatized from the accident his biological parents had and the years he spent in the children's home. Then only Ed can calm him down."

Ironside understood better and better why Ed Brown was so shattered. Eve was a patient and dedicated mother, but there remained too much work for him. This labor-intensive child had a fixation on him. Together with his job as Chief of Detectives with little or no support by his superior, this resulted in a tremendous amount of pressure. Ironside had been a workaholic himself all his life, and in a way he was proud that Ed had become so much like him. But more than enough was too much...

* * *

"Here's the computer!" said one of the voices in Ironside's study.

"What about the stereo?"

"Let's take it too, it looks like an expensive one."

"I'll see if there is anything of value in the kitchen..."

This had to be burglars. Ed sat up abruptly, which was not a good idea, as he soon noticed. His head spun like a carrousel.

What could he do? His gun lay upstairs in the guestroom where he had left it on Christmas Eve before going to the mass with his family, and he had no way of getting there unnoticed. He had no weapon whatsoever.  
He didn't delude himself: If they came into the living-room – which they most probably would – he would be in no shape to defend himself. He had to call for help, yet Ironside's phone was in his study.

Ed Brown was usually not one to run away, but right now he couldn't see an alternative. Maybe Eve had left their rented car open the other night after driving him home. She'd had other things on mind then than to lock car doors. The key to the ignition was in her purse though...

Somehow Ed managed to get off the couch. Fortunately only two steps away there was a massive table where he could hold onto fast. Moving along the table led him to the window. Ed opened it and climbed out.

The intruders had arrived in an old pick-up truck which was standing next to the window. He considered using it to flee, but decided that it would cause too much noise. Maybe he could get away unnoticed with the Chevy Blazer they had rented in San Francisco, which was parked further away. He trudged through to it, fighting against the lightheadedness.  
He almost sighed with relief when he reached the driver's door, which was unlocked indeed. He pulled himself onto the driver's seat. Bending down to hot-wire it was next to impossible. He managed to pull the string of wires out, but he had to close his eyes because dizziness threatened to get the better of him... and then someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him out of the car.  
Ed would have collapsed, but for the attacker's firm grip. The detective was shoved against the car. He saw stars, but nevertheless he hit his adversary as fiercely as he could, and his aim was not too bad. Yet there was not enough strength behind his blow to fight the criminal off, just enough to make him angry. It didn't take much for the attacker to knock him out.

* * *

* See part 1 of "Sounds": ff story "Christmas Carols"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When the group around Ironside turned back, Danny ran ahead. Instinctively he wanted to be where his Dad was, and right now this was in Ironside's house.

He noticed that a door of their rented car was standing open. Curiously he went closer and found his father's prone body... "Mum, Dad is lying here on the ground!" he cried, rushed there and knelt down, frightened that his father might be hurt again. That was going to happen when he left people alone! He should have stayed with him after all!

Eve followed suit. Her husband was unconscious, but breathing, and there didn't seem to be any new injuries.

"I wonder why he wanted to go out with the car," muttered Katherine.

"He didn't want to do it," answered Ironside. He had noticed that a window of the living-room was open, and that someone had stepped into the flowerbed below it. "He _had_ to," he said grimly. "Otherwise he would have left by the door and not by the window."

Ed opened his eyes. His former boss' words helped him realize where he was. "Sorry for the trampled border," he mumbled.

"What happened?" asked Ironside.

"You had visitors. Dunno what they swiped. Your computer probably."

"They? Can you describe them?"

"Robert, please! Let's get Ed out of the cold first!" admonished Katherine.

Since she was surrounded by active or retired police officers mostly, everybody else thought of pursuing the culprits first.

"It's all right, Katherine," said Ed. "I'm fine. There's not much to describe though. I heard two men's voices in the house, but I only saw one guy, and this could just as well have been the wheelman: 6 ft, 180 pounds, probably Caucasian, wore a stocking mask, blue jeans, a white turtleneck pullover and a green corduroy jacket. They drove a brown pick-up truck, a Chevy about 1984 model I think, without a license plate."

Great. This description fitted about every other American guy. Ironside noticed that the talking tired Ed out. The report of what had happened could wait. "Mark, help him up, will you?"

Ironside's glance fell upon Danny. He didn't want to let go of his father's hand. "Come on, Danny," he said friendly. "Let your mother and Mark help your dad. We will follow them in a minute, but right now I need your young eyes to read the tracks so that we can find these crooks."

Together they took a close look at the flower bed. There were two distinct footprints. Danny with his eye for details explained: "This is Daddy's. He only wears socks. The other one has sharper edges. This must belong to the intruder who wore shoes. He wears about size 10."

Chief Brown would have a quick-learning student here, thought the shrewd detective.

* * *

Ed had been taken directly to bed. The stair lift carried Ironside up to the guest room on the first floor. When he arrived, Ed reported in short, professional words what had happened.

Eve noticed that he started shivering. He had been lying outside on the cold ground for too long. She left to get a hot-water bottle for him, taking Danny with her.

When they were alone, Ed opened his fist. He let a silver-colored button glide into Ironside's hand. "This is from the man's corduroy jacket."

It was a button with a seven-pointed star – a button of a police uniform shirt.

Maybe the man had lost an original button and had replaced it with this one.

Ironside assumed that Ed hadn't shown it when the ladies were present because he thought it might upset them. This was bad indeed, very bad.

"There has to be a connection to the police, meaning that we can't alert them," he decided. Ed nodded. He had come to the same conclusion.

"Where did he get you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on! You didn't go down without a fight out there. I saw a blood trail at your car, and obviously it wasn't your blood. I'm sure you got something back. Do you need a doctor?"

"No, really, I'm only a little dizzy, that's all. Just keep the women from feeding me, will you?"

Ironside grinned. "You may be able to dupe the women, but your son is quite sharp. One day we'll make a good detective out of him."

The look on Ed's face changed suddenly, and his eyes looked gloomy. "Chief, I don't want him to become a detective. It's enough for Eve to have to worry about Suzanne and me." His voice became very low. "Things have become so tough. So much violence. And the crooks always stay ahead of us, no matter how hard we work. I would like my son to learn the value of love and peace and justice... but not police business."

"Don't you think it should be Danny's choice once he is old enough?"

"Maybe. But he won't learn the ropes from me."

Ironside tried to understand what had happened to this man, whom he had known as being almost as indestructible as himself – until last year, that was. He knew that he was overworked and overtired, but he hadn't realized that he was that close to a burnout. Today's ordeal on top of his injury might have been the final straw for him.

"He will find his way, wherever," he relented. "Now try to get some rest, my friend."

* * *

Katherine and Eve assumed that Ironside had _of course_ alerted the police. Ironside had only let Mark into the secret. He deemed that the thieves had got what they wanted. If there was any danger at all it would not be for his property. He would have his gun ready, and during the night Mark and Ironside would keep watch alternately.

After dinner the two men were sitting together, savoring a good glass of cabernet while the women were cleaning up the kitchen. Danny's persistent violin-playing was mercifully muted, since he was practicing in the cellar.

"Chief – why Danny?" Mark didn't want to criticize his oldest friends behind their back. He just didn't understand them. "Why didn't they adopt a sweet little girl instead of this difficult, withdrawn, challenging autistic boy?"

Ironside didn't answer.

"They could have been a perfect little family..." – in the nick of time he shied away from adding "like us". He loved his wife and his daughters to death.

"Tell me, Mark, what exactly is a perfect life?"

Judge Sanger turned red. "I never wanted to imply that your life is in any way not perfect, Chief! You had no choice. You made the best of your handicap. But Ed and Eve..."

"Do you think Danny had a choice?"

Now it was Mark's turn to keep quiet.

"For some people a perfect life may be a happy, successful, undisturbed one ended by cardiac arrest at their hundredth birthday. For others it is a struggle, chosen or imposed, and seemingly far from pleasant.  
Ed and Eve may not live to be a hundred years old, let alone successfully and undisturbed. The way Ed looks to me right now he may not even get much older as Chief of Detectives of Denver. But giving this boy their love and a home they will have accomplished something nobody else could do. I think it will have been a great, fulfilled life."

Mark nodded. Of course Robert was right. Thoughtfully he stated: "I'm just concerned about Ed and Eve. They were like my brother and sister when I needed them. Now I can see that they suffer and push themselves to their limits and beyond. I only wish them the best."

"Mark – it is to your credit that you care for them. But the best for Ed and Eve may not be what we think is best. Look at it this way: you were a street kid and you became a highly respectable man of great integrity, a judge. I'm very proud of you. Eve was a society girl, and she grew into an admirable woman of inner wealth. Fran was an angry girl almost unable to control her emotions, but now she is a mature person who can even mediate when others argue. Ed was an over-adapted young cop, too eager to please everybody. He has found his own way, which is somewhat different from what I would do. But I'm proud of him too. If I had four children I would be very happy if they were like the four of you."

He didn't need to mention that, if he had any grandchildren, they would have to be like Mark's twins, Suzanne ... and Danny.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The next morning, Ed was coughing and running a fever.

The doctor called in. He checked Ironside's arm, which was healing nicely. Yet he didn't like the state Ed was in. He wasn't satisfied with the explanation that his immune system was weakened since he had ruptured his spleen in a fall in Los Angeles decades ago*, which was probably the reason why he had caught a cold the day before.

"Mr. Brown, I want you moved to the hospital, where you can be monitored."

He shook his head in exasperation when the patient insisted on staying where he was. Downstairs the medic told Eve what he thought about this idea, and that the fever had probably clouded her husband's thinking.

Ironside heard it and intervened. "Doctor, we have our reasons. He can't go to the hospital."

"Sir – you don't know what you are talking about. A man of his age and physical constitution should be able to fight off a simple cold. The after-effects of the concussion should have lessened by now. I can't see a reason why he is so sick. For some reason he seems to be too weak to resist the illness."

"He works very hard," Eve threw in, "and I noticed that he secretly made two new holes into the belt he bought for our wedding. I'm sure he has lost weight over the last months."

"This looks like a burnout to me," answered Ironside. "He's always been strong mentally, and he kept himself fit. This injury and the cold broke his resistance. But there's nothing you can do for him in hospital."

"If you insist, but I decline all responsibility if he takes a turn for the worse."

Ironside's voice betrayed his concern. "Doctor, we will do our best to care for him. But please – don't talk about this to anybody. His life might be in danger, and we can't protect him in the hospital. Since we don't know where the danger might come from, we want to keep him here to be safe."

Again the doctor frowned. He knew about Ironside's career with the police. "I will have to trust you on this, Sir. But I insist on calling in every day until he is better."

* * *

"Robert, what's this all about?" asked Eve, when the surgeon had left.

Ironside could not keep her in the dark any longer. "We are not sure if the police are involved in what happened yesterday. Ed himself pointed me into this direction. Probably there is no danger at all, but if it is the case, then he is the most likely target. We have to be careful."

Together with Mark he had been wondering why the intruders had taken his computer, but left behind the stereo and Katherine's jewelry. Granted, they had been interrupted by Ed, but still... the computer wasn't the expensive kind.

"If the police have anything to do with it, they may have been after some information in it. But we have no idea about what it could have been," he explained.

During the following hours Eve kept watch at Ed's bed, trying to get his fever down. Still his breathing became more and more labored. He tried to tell Eve how much he loved her and how sorry he was for distressing her, but his hoarse voice let the words sound impersonal. Eve understood him all the same, and she wished nothing more than to see him get better.

Danny stopped his beloved violin-playing. He walked around with his head hanging, not letting anybody near him. Eve hardly managed to get him to eat or drink. This was getting very rough on her, but she did everything for her 'men' lovingly. Only for short periods of time she allowed Katherine to fill in for her.

It was during Katherine's watch around midnight that Ed got delirious.

When Katherine washed his hot forehead and hands he seemed to relax a little.  
She had a lot of time to think about this man who was like a son to her Robert – like his first-born; the one who followed in his footsteps. You didn't need to be a palmist to read his wiry hands. Like Robert he worked more with his mind than with his hands, but Eve saw there – if only to a certain degree - the strength she admired in her husband. But Ed seemed to have used up all his reserves. Eve was a loving wife and a wonderful cook; it wasn't her fault that he was so thin. Katherine was sure that he loved his family and his work. Yet she doubted that he would be able to cope with both in the long run: the challenging work and his handicapped son, and taking everything as seriously as he did.

Again she cooled his face and hands – with the same love she would have felt towards Robert's biological son.

Both women were glad to see the morning dawn. Ed's sleep seemed to be a little less troubled now.

When Ironside heard that Ed had talked in the sleep he wanted to know what he had said.

"Nothing recognizable. Something like: 'Watch out... Hank, be careful... no, please...'"

"Do you know a Hank?" asked Mark.

"Yes, for instance Hank Riley; he's one of Ed's Sergeants in Denver. Good man, but one who can watch out for himself, and maybe for Ed as well..." He interrupted his own reasoning. "Maybe Ed thought of a case Hank is supposed to handle for him while he is away..."

He thought of the stolen computer. "What if Hank sent an email at my address for Ed and somebody found out about it?"

"We could rent a laptop to check your emails," suggested Mark.

"You are right. Electronics are not exactly my hobby..."

"I will help you!" This was Danny, who walked through the house quietly like a ghost and kept showing up where nobody expected him.

Getting a laptop was no problem. Both men were stunned about how easily the autistic boy handled the computer. They let him work on it, partly to keep him from worrying about his father and partly because he was much quicker than the adults.

There were not many emails for Ironside; he usually didn't even check them daily.

Indeed there was one from Sgt. Hank Riley with the header "to Chief Brown".

Danny opened it immediately.

Ironside read it aloud, "Sir, something is going on here. The duty roster you authorized has been changed. I asked for the reason but got no satisfactory response. Moreover I have the impression that I am being kept in the dark about some operations, and maybe even some reports have vanished. I am very sorry to disturb your holidays, but I thought that you might want to know about this. Yours faithfully, Hank Riley."

"When was it sent?" asked Mark.

"Yesterday at one pm," answered Danny. "Hank must have sent it during his lunch break."

"The intruders were here before 4pm. It's impossible that someone from Denver could come here to steal the computer that fast. It must have been someone from around here."

Ironside developed further, "There may still be a connection between the police here – or at least one of their members - and Denver."

"If so - how can we find it?"

"We may for instance find an officer who moved from Denver to Sonoma recently."

"Who can we ask?"

"Nobody, since we don't know who we can trust. Danny – I know that last year files were on paper in the Denver police department. Do you know if your father also started any electronic ones?"

"Yes, I know."

"And, did he?!"

"Yes, he did," answered Danny, not quite understanding why the famous detective was so impatient. He had just answered his question...

Nobody could have read Ironside's poker-face. He came to an extreme conclusion.

"Can you get into the network of the Denver police department?"

"I suppose so."

"Then go ahead, do it!" barked Ironside. Sometimes this autistic boy gave him the creeps.

"Chief, that's not exactly by the book. What if we leave some traces and somebody will notice them?" objected Mark.

"How should anybody know if it was Danny or his father who opened their files?" asked Ironside, "and who could deny the Chief of Detectives of Denver the right to read his own files?"

Mark shook his head in a somewhat doubtful manner, but Danny nodded and started to tap blithely on the new laptop.

Soon columns of names and numbers appeared.

"We are looking for somebody who left Denver for Sonoma," reminded Ironside.

"It would have to be a recent change, otherwise it would not be in the files yet," Danny pointed out.

"Just keep trying," Ironside encouraged him.

A text box popped up, "access denied".

Danny shook his head. "I don't understand this."

"Ed should have access to everything in his department," Ironside gave Mark an explanation.

The keypad rattled while Danny tapped on with utmost concentration. He didn't tell anybody that he was trying to force the entry.  
Soon afterwards he pointed to the screen, again not quite understanding what he was seeing.

Ironside read several names of enterprises and sums of money.

"I don't believe this!" he exclaimed. "This looks like an extended bribe affair. Can you find out who filed this?"

Danny, who was unable to talk and tape at the same time, stopped and said: "I don't know why you don't _believe_ it if you can _see_ it. But no, I can't find out. It has to be someone with a high clearance. Otherwise they could not even get near it. Be assured that it was not my father. I know the type of passwords he uses, but I can't crack them anymore since I did it once and he caught me."

In spite of the tense situation Ironside had to smile. Obviously Ed was growing with this boy.

Danny worked on. Finally he found the files about changes of personnel. "Sir, is this what you are looking for?"

"Officer Jacob Forsyth, former Sergeant, demoted to patrolman, resigned and moved to Healdsburg, Ca", read Mark.

"This could be our connection. Why was he downgraded?"

"It's not marked. The list is not very detailed. Daddy only just started it. For more information you would need the file on paper – or you could wait until he can tell you personally."

Ironside knew that the last part contained a lot of wishful thinking, and he felt sorry for Danny.

"The most important information is that there is a traitor or a crook somewhere in Ed's department. We have to find out who it is. Mark, let's fly to Denver!"

* * *

_*Ironside S6/1 "Five Days in the Death of Sgt. Brown_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The door opened and a tired out Eve walked in. "Why would you fly to Denver, Robert?"

Ironside explained it. Eve was appalled.

"I think Ed suspected something like this. He keeps police work and family strictly apart, but I know that before we left he gave Sgt. Hank Riley a modern bug-proof cell phone, and he asked him to keep his eyes open."

"Do you know the number of the phone? We will need someone we can trust there, and if Ed trusts him, that's good enough for me."

Eve didn't know, but Danny found it stored in his father's mobile phone. He wrote the number onto a slip of paper for Ironside. He immediately tried it out but got no answer.

While Katherine quickly packed for her husband and Mark called his wife, Ironside went up to the guestroom, hoping that his friend would be responsive. The door was ajar and Ironside glanced into the room. Ed was still asleep, and his son was kneeling at his bed and praying. Silently Ironside turned around and went back downstairs. He could not help the ailing man and his troubled son and wife, but maybe he could prevent further harm, and he would do everything in his power to do so.

He kissed Katherine goodbye and waited for Mark in his van, leaving the wheel to him because of his injured arm.

"It's such a shame that Ed can't take care of things in his department himself," reasoned Mark, when he finally jumped into the van. "This may hurt his reputation."

"If we don't do it for him there may not be a department for him to go back to in a few days. And that's still the least of my worries." He thought of Ed's family: Eve, who had found new happiness at his side, and Danny, who was developing so well and who in spite of his handicap had a chance for a good life now. Eve and Danny needed Ed even more than the Denver police.

Diana had presented her husband with a new cell phone for Christmas, too. On their way to the airport Ironside and Mark tried to reach Hank Riley with it, but again without success.

* * *

Katherine saw Eve come out of Ed's room. She looked tired and pale, but Katherine had to admire her for her strength. Her autistic son wasn't easy to handle, not even on a good day, and with the exemplary care for her husband there was a lot of pressure on her, not to mention the lack of sleep. Moreover she had to be frantic with worry about the situation in the police department.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am that Robert and Mark are flying to Denver," said Eve, as if she had read her thoughts. "Ed was never a control freak, but over the last few months he seemed to think that things were only done correctly if he checked them personally. This must have worn him out so much. I'm angry enough to go after the crook or crooks in his department myself, but he needs me here."

"Eve, do you think that we are safe? The people who stole the computer may come back to attack Ed."

"Robert knows that I have Ed's service revolver, and he trusts that I am capable of defending us if necessary. I'm a little out of practice, but I suppose I could still use it. The problem is that we might get caught off guard. We need an advance warning."

"Where's Danny? He is so inventive. Maybe he could think of something."

"He is hiding under the couch. For him the sun rises and sets with Ed, and now he's lost the plot. We have to give him some time and hope that he will come out eventually."

She thought about the problem for a moment. "Let's do it the old-fashioned way..."

The two women used old tin cans and some knitting yarn to build a burglar alarm. Katherine was not sure if it would work, but at least it kept Eve from worrying about her husband for a few minutes, and that _per se _was a good thing.

Probably they were safe anyway: the computer with its information was gone, and if Robert caused enough noise in Denver, nobody would be interested in them anymore.

* * *

At Denver International it was snowing heavily. Ironside and Mark rented a car. Ten minutes later Mark finally reached Riley by phone. "Hello, this is Judge Sanger. Maybe you remember me; I was involved in the case around the Regency Textile Corporation."

Riley sounded upset and confused, "No, I can't remember. Where is the Chief?"

"He's right here beside me. Let me connect you with him."

"Sir! I'm so glad to hear from you. Please tell headquarters to call me back!"

"Hello, Hank!" said Ironside, and he heard Riley gasp for air.

"What? You are not the Chief! Where the hell is he? What have you done to him?!"

"Relax, Hank. This is Robert Ironside. Unfortunately Chief Brown is ill. I'm here with an old friend of his. You can trust us."

Only now Riley recognized Ironside's voice. "Sorry, Sir. Chief Brown is the only person who knows my number, therefore I was so confused. Will he be all right?"

"We hope so. But right now it's you I'm worried about. You may be in danger. What were you about to say to Ed?"

"I have just left headquarters. I was called out to Red Rocks Park... But this sounds somehow phony to me now. I'm sure the Chief – Chief Brown, I mean - was right with his suspicion that there is a crook in the department."

"Hank – I want you to watch out. If there is a criminal he may want you out of the way. Go on towards Red Rocks, but check your tail, and slow down a bit. We are about ten minutes behind you. We will try to catch up with you. Call back if you notice something. If not, wait for us at the visitor's center." He handed the cell-phone back to Mark who gave Hank his number.

"Mark, are you up to a little car race?"

"Try me!" answered Mark and stepped on the gas, not caring about the snow on the road.

Ironside found a city map in the glove compartment and studied the route to Red Rocks.

A little later Mark's phone rang. As he had his hands full driving, Ironside answered it, although he had trouble dealing with it with his left hand.

It was Hank again. "Mr. Ironside? You were right. Somebody is tailing me. It's an undistinguished black Ford sedan, but I'm sure."

Ironside believed him. Riley was an experienced officer, and Ed put his trust in him, which meant that he was reliable.

"You know the area. Describe the route ahead of you."

"I'm about to leave Interstate 70."

"In that case we are quite close now. Isn't there a slight bend shortly after the turn-off?"

"Yes, right. Why?"

"When you reach the bend you will announce by radio that there has been an avalanche, with possible casualties, and that you need help to save the people in a car which was carried off. The people in the Ford know that you are there, and I'm quite sure that they listen in on the police radio. Therefore they won't be suspicious – they will slow down because of your warning, and that way you will be able to stop them behind the bend. We will be there to help you."

Riley understood. The black sedan was about 200 yards behind him when he left the Interstate. Before the bend Hank accelerated just a little, and then he sent his message by police radio and pulled his car across the snow-covered road and to a stop. He jumped out of the car and hid behind it, aiming his gun towards the bend.  
The driver of the sedan turned the bend slowly. Riley fired off a warning shot.  
There were two men in the Ford. Startled the driver pulled the car around to avoid getting hit.

But they could not get away, because Mark, who had caught up, blocked the road with the rental car.  
The driver saw him too late and slid into Ironside's and Mark's vehicle.

Mark had jumped out too, pulling Ironside's gun, and Riley approached from the opposite side.

"Get out!" commanded Ironside through the open window, and the men complied.

Out of the fog a car approached with a howling siren. Two young men in uniforms stepped out of it, pulling their guns too. "Colorado State Patrol – drop your guns, everybody, and rise your hands above your heads!"

Mark and Hank complied.

"I'm Sgt. Redwood," said the taller one of the two newcomers. "Where's that avalanche? What's this all about?"

"We are police officers from Denver, Lt. Wilder and officer Parks. Sgt. Riley over there reported the avalanche, but it was a bogus message. This is an ambush. When we arrived here the road was blocked and Riley pulled his gun at us, and so did this man!" Wilder pointed accusingly at Mark.

"We are Judge Sanger and former Chief of detectives of San Francisco, Robert Ironside. These men are suspects in a robbery case."

"So we have on one side a detective sergeant and two strangers, one of them pretending to be a judge, and on the other a lieutenant and a police officer," resumed Redwood, "and two considerably different stories. With all due respect, gentlemen – what am I supposed to believe now?!"

Wilder wanted to reach into his pocket to pull out his wallet, but the second State patrol officer intervened: "Sergeant, if I can't trust Chief Ironside anymore, then I will stop trusting myself!"

"Are you sure that he is who he pretends to be?"

"Of course he is sure, we have met a year ago!" barked Ironside, and the personality behind his booming voice was enough to convince Redwood.

The situation was still bizarre: Without any proof a sergeant – Riley - could not put a lieutenant – Wilder - behind bars – apart from the fact that they were out of their jurisdiction, and neither Ironside nor Sanger had any official position here. And for the state police there was no reason to book anyone of them: there was just some bodywork damage to two cars and some people brandishing their guns.

Each of them would have to fill a report and then a superior would have to decide about how to go on. At any rate they would then be suspended until everything was sorted out – and that would last until after New Year, since over the holidays the Denver police was hopelessly understaffed.

Yet, with Ed out of commission and with one of the high-ranking officers in the Denver police probably on the take, Hank's position was still quite precarious.

Ironside came to a conclusion quickly. "Sgt. Redwood, I ask you to report very carefully what you have seen here. Insist that there will be a thorough investigation."

That way the case could not just be swept under the carpet and Hank had a quite a good chance of surviving.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ironside and Mark used the Browns' house as base and Hank joined them.

Hank told Ironside and Mark what he had found out in the meantime. Over a dinner of pizza they discussed what to do next.

Ironside summarized: "Let's think for a moment about who knew where Ed was and who had the authority to access that file.  
Of those who knew where Ed was, only Fisette and Ed's deputy have the clearance to get to the file which proves the bribe affair.  
If one of them is accused, he will say that Ed has manipulated the data, and he may get away with it, since it is quite obvious that Ed knows more about computers than them.  
How can we get the guilty one to tip his hand?"

Mark yawned. "It's been one hell of a day. I'm afraid I won't come up with any helpful ideas tonight."

Hank also looked as if he would fall asleep the next minute.

Fortunately the Brown family had more than enough nice warm beds for them...

* * *

The pain in Ironside's arm didn't let him sleep much, instead some new ideas formed in his active mind.

At the breakfast table he outlined his plan to Mark when the phone rang. It was Katherine. She had good news about the patient: the fever had broken.

"Listen, Katherine – I have to talk to Ed. It's very important."

"No way!" Never ever had Ironside heard his wife talk _so_ resolutely. "No way will we risk a setback. He is far too weak to be disturbed."

Ironside would have roared at anyone else, but this was Katherine Ironside he was talking to. He trusted her enough to accept her judgment.

"Then get me Danny instead, will you?"

Since his father was on the road to recovery the boy had cheered up. He was all ears.  
"Danny, I want you to go back to the file about the department bribery.  
This time I want you to leave some traces. The person who filed the data should notice that you were there, but not who you are. And I need you to print the file. Have you understood that?"

Danny nodded, unaware that Ironside could not see him. Ironside took his silence as a yes.

"Then I want you to place a new file into your father's folder including some wrong information."

"What do you want me to write?"

Ironside had to think about that for a second, since he'd just come up with this part of the plan. "Write: 'Suspicion of something going on in RJ Fox Corporation. Possible whistleblower. First thing after holidays: contact number...' Then you add a number, but I have to do some research first. So please wait with that part, will you?"

"And the name of the file should be RJ F C, right? That way the person you want to read it will find it."

"Smart boy! Start the new laptop, will you? I will call back in a minute."

"The kid has his strengths...," admitted Mark drily.

Ironside knew who he wanted to be the recipient of the expected phone call. It would have to be someone of the FBI. He needed someone outside the Denver police to make the arrest.

He approached the FBI and explained the case. They gave him a number where an agent would be present: (720) 924-6781.

Danny did a perfect job at Sonoma filing the wrong information.

Two hours later Commissioner Fisette called the alleged whistleblower.

Minutes afterwards Ironside and the FBI agent confronted him with the tape of the phone call. Fisette broke down and admitted to the bribes and to sending the thieves to Ironside's estate to steal his computer, hoping Brown would not learn about the e-mail sent to him by Riley. "But I didn't want to harm anybody... especially not Chief Brown. It was only when I realized that he and Sgt. Riley were very close to uncovering the bribes that I panicked and sent Lt. Wilder and officer Parks after Hank, which I regret deeply," he asserted. He left open how much Wilder and Parks knew about the entire affair. A thorough investigation would bring everything into the open.

* * *

The next day, after a quiet flight to San Francisco, Mark drove Ironside's car back to Sonoma.

They had been right about Jacob Forsyth, the cop who had helped Fisette in revenge for being demoted by Ed – which had happened with very good reason, as Ironside pointed out after he saw the reports.  
Up to now Ed's deputy had never been a big help to him. Now he had his hands full with Fisette in prison and Ed sick, but Hank Riley, Jerry Abbey and others helped him as much as possible.

Ironside and Mark were hoping for a few quieter days finally when they passed the entrance door of the ranch.

Mark almost rammed a tree when suddenly hell broke loose:

Some metallic items rattled down onto their car. The door of the house opened and a revolver appeared. Above the door a window opened and a perplexed Ironside perceived his wife with an obviously filled thermos in her hand.

"Ah, hello Robert, hi, Mark! When we heard the ruckus, we thought that we had to deal with some thieves again."

"Thieves?!" asked Mark incredulously.

The revolver in the door gap vanished, the door fully opened and Eve came out, laughing: "Hello, you two! Sorry, we forgot to disconnect our alarm system. At least we know now that it would have worked!"

When Ironside finally saw his old friend upstairs, he was relieved. Supported by cushions he was teaching chess openings to Danny.

"We have just finished. Mum only allows us one opening at a time", said the boy and left with his chessboard.

"Tell me about Denver!"

"Well, you know that Commissioner Fisette was on the take. The rest can wait until you're stronger. _Now_ you're going to tell me how you are feeling."

"Robert, please!" It was the first time he called Ironside by his first name. "My body is laid up, not my mind. You of all people should understand the difference."

Yes, Ironside understood the difference. It was what many people thought when they saw him. They came to the wrong conclusions. "Mens sana in corpore sano" - a sound mind in a healthy body – this sentence was less than half the truth. It happened so easily that a person was reduced to their flaw.

"You suspected Fisette, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, but I couldn't prove it. I didn't trust my own judgment. Since he was never really supportive of me, I thought that I was maybe preoccupied against him. I had to be sure."

"And you trusted nobody else with this?!" No wonder the pressure had led him to the verge of a breakdown!

"Well, I trusted Jerry Abbey, Hank Riley and Suzanne, of course. But would you have burdened two rookies or an old Sergeant shortly before retirement with a suspicion against a _Commissioner_? Remember what you did when you were under suspicion of drug theft."*

"How long didn't you sleep because of that affair?"

Ed didn't answer. He couldn't remember.

"You took quite a risk by not telling anybody about it."

"It was all in a file on my computer at home, and in our safe I had deposited an envelope which would have to be opened in case I died. In it was a hint for Danny to help him crack the password."

That was not exactly Ironside's main concern; he hadn't thought about the possible loss of information but about Ed getting killed because of it. But it was quite typical for his friend to care more about the job than about himself – and it could very well be his downfall in the end. He briefed Brown about the events in Denver.

"Let's hope that the next City Commissioner will be straight – and that he will be more supportive of you."

"I have thought about that, but he won't have to be supportive of _me_. I'll quit. Over the past few days Eve and I became even closer than what we were already. We agree that my career is not important for our family. Just the family is important."

Again Ironside understood. Ed was a born detective, but he was too straight to play politics or to fight against superiors or colleagues. Sooner or later he would break down under the responsibility. Obviously he wasn't looking for an easy way out. He looked drained now.

"I'm hungry. I think dinner is ready. We'll talk later on," said Ironside therefore.

Ed realized that his fatherly friend wanted to give him a chance to relax without hurting him. "Thanks."  
He didn't add "... for understanding me", or "... for solving my problem in Denver" or "... for giving me some space". It wasn't necessary.

* * *

Ironside was already expected at the dinner table. He reported in brief what Ed had said.

Mark was upset: "He can't leave now, or the dark side would have won! He is sick. He sure shouldn't take a decision right now. Things will look differently once he will be recovered, then he won't be considered to have left as a loser by his people."

Eve looked still a little worse for wear. The last few days had taken their toll on her. Yet she disagreed, "No, Mark. Ed is no loser, no matter what people may think of him. He wants to protect Danny and me. He is not ready to sacrifice his family to a job somebody else can do just as well. Of course he has never been as tough as you, Robert. But I can't see his sincerity or his sympathy for criminals as weaknesses."

To Mark's surprise, Ironside backed her, "In his very subtle way, Ed was maybe as overpowering as I was. Just for fun they called him 'Father Brown' in Denver and laughed about his project with the juvenile offenders and his understanding of the crooks. But secretly, they saw him as their moral compass. They respected his honesty. They also knew about his being 100% loyal to them. He had taught them what he knew, the way I had taught him many years ago. But ultimately he stood in their way, as far as taking their responsibility was concerned, since they saw no need to do what he did on their own.  
He was there, working night and day, running the department, doing what was right. Now they will have to shoulder the responsibility, and I'm sure they will be capable of doing it."

* * *

_**Author's notes:**_

_Epilogue to come._

_* S4 "The Man on the Inside"_


	6. Chapter 6

**Epilogue:**

_Three days later, Denver:_

Finally the Browns had been able to move back to Denver. There was one thing Ed absolutely needed to get over with: He had to talk to the juvenile delinquents personally, before he made his resignation official.

"I know that it is tough, but you have to let go! Nobody is indispensable," had Ironside said, and he had been right.

"Darling, are you up to this?" asked Eve with concern.

He hugged her gently. "Honey, I can't leave them in the dark."

Sgt. Hank Riley drove Chief Brown to the prison.

As usual during the workout two armed officers were posted in front of the door of the gym, where Ed used to work with the youngsters. It had been the prison governor's condition to agree to the training in the first place.

Same as the boys, the officers didn't know that this would be Brown's last appearance here. They were just a bit surprised to see the Chief in street clothes.

When Ed walked in, the boys cheered, and one pitched a ball at him. Ed caught it, but the impact threw him back against the wall and he went down. Panicking, Riley bent down to help him, and the boys ran by too, very worried, not understanding what had happened. The officers outside the door heard the ruckus and feared a riot. They pulled their guns and joined the party.

Helped up by Riley Ed said as firmly as possible, "It's ok, gentlemen, no problems. Relax!"

They didn't believe him. Ed had to put the rest of his authority in the balance to get them to leave.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't want to hurt you," said the boy who had hit him.

"I know, Claude. It's all right. Let's sit down, we've got to talk."

He used the wall behind him as a support.

Riley didn't really feel at ease among a dozen beatniks, but the frail Chief didn't show a sign of anxiousness towards them – as if they were a class of Sunday-school disciples.

The boys had turned very quiet. Confused they looked at the man who had always seemed so strong. This wasn't their laid-back, if somewhat peculiar coach. What might have happened to him?

Ed felt it but didn't want to go into it. "Let's not talk about me now, but about something similar to what happened to Claude right now. Sometimes people get hurt in one way or another because of us, and we have to bear the consequences. That's what happened to most of you, and that's why you are here. And sometimes others have to bear the consequences of what we did, like in my case: I will leave the department. I won't be able to come back to you. I'm very sorry about that."

"But Sir, this is impossible! Who else could run the Denver police...?"

"... You do all the work, and every man in the department listens to you..."

"Please, Sir, don't leave us!"

Ed leaned his head back towards the wall. No, he didn't want to leave these kids. They trusted in him... there had to be a different way. He owed it to them. He felt guilty for giving up too soon... He closed his eyes for a second.

Jean-Luc, Claude's older brother, kneeled down at his side, unsure if the Chief would be able to keep upright. He tried to read the drawn, waxen face. Suddenly he seemed to understand. Quietly he said:  
"Listen, folks, this isn't only about us anymore. Chief Brown has given us whatever he could, and maybe more than that. It's time that we man up and take the responsibility ourselves."

Claude had found a cup and filled it with water. Now he handed it to the coach. Ed took it gratefully and drank.

"Sir, we need to know. What happened to you? You are injured or sick, and that's why you go away, right?" asked Chris, one of the boys who had been in the orphanage with Danny.

"I was shot accidently, and the man who shot me had a very troubled past, like some of you. And then one thing led to another..." He had to swallow, and Jean-Luc noticed a film of sweat on his forehead.

The boys kept silent, embarrassed, sad, helpless.

"But there's more, isn't there?" asked Claude. "Is it our fault?"

"No, Claude, it's not your fault. That's what I'm trying to explain to you. It's you who have to suffer from it, and that is rather unfair." He swallowed hard, feeling bad... guilty. "But I'm afraid it can't be helped. Life isn't always fair. Yet Sgt. Riley here will step into the breach and coach you from now on."

Ed couldn't overlook their doubtful faces. It was important to cheer them up a little. He made an effort and managed a grin: "He knows the rules of the game, and if you get him to run around with you a little, it will be good for his waistline."

Riley smirked back: "Just wait and see!"

Claude wiped over his eyes, but Jean-Luc nodded understandingly. "We will get along. You take care of yourself now, Sir. Is there anything we can do for you?"

Ed smiled at them. "Yes, actually there are two things. For once I want you to give Sgt. Riley the same chance you gave me."

Again Riley laughed, wholeheartedly this time: "As you know, everyone is innocent until proven guilty; this goes for old cops too!"

Ed nodded and went on: "And secondly I'd like to get a note from you whenever one of you graduates from high-school or from whatever he does. Agreed?"

Most of them smiled back, although somewhat forcedly.

Riley saw that the strong will which had kept the Chief upright was slackening.

"Boys, I will be back in a minute. But first this man needs a place to relax."

He helped his boss up, and the youths hurried to shake his hand, "Thank you for what you have done for us, Sir – take care – you'll hear from us – get well soon – thanks for everything!"

Ed felt relieved: They would do their best, and it would be enough.

* * *

"How'd it go?" asked Ironside when he returned.

"The kids will do fine," answered Ed. "Yet I will not be able to finish everything so smoothly. Suzanne, Jerry and Hank – they are some fine officers, but it is too early to leave them alone..."

The modern touchy-feely thing was not exactly Ironside's cup of tea. But now he laid his hand onto his friend's shoulder. Decades ago he had been surprised about Ed's strength. Once for instance he had carried a man out of a burning building who outweighed him by far.* Now he had lost this kind of strength. But the shoulders were still the same. They had become bony, but they were still able to take a load. Ironside was confident that Ed would carry his fair share in the future – and more.

"Yes, my friend," he said, very thoughtfully. "Sometimes some things along our path remain unfinished - and that's ok."

* * *

_* S3 "Ransom"_

_Author's notes:_

_This is the end of "part 2" of "Sounds". Next part will be titled "Clamor"._

_A huge thank you to Briroch for correcting this part – and to all you faithful readers and reviewers!_


End file.
